Our second home in the City of Pines is the unequalled Baguio Country Club (BCC). During a weekend trip earlier this month, we were pleasantly surprised when BCC upgraded our room reservation to a newly refurbished and well-appointed penthouse, which is a two-bedroom unit with loft, kitchen, and living and dining area. Perfect for mom, three siblings and I, and my daughter Gabbie.
One of the things I look forward to whenever I’m in Baguio is breakfast at the BCC. The breakfast buffet is simply one of the best, if not THE best for me. The spread is so long, and it’s quite difficult to make up your mind with all the tasty offerings available. For an added wake-me-up, I started with the aromatic Benguet brewed coffee, then continued with the garlic longganisa, tinapa, fried rice, a cheese omelet and a fresh watercress salad on the side. I also had fresh melon and papaya together with mini pancakes. I was also happy to see a taho server, who served my hot taho straight from his stainless-steel container!
After breakfast, we took mom to Mt. Cloud bookshop along Brent Road. Gabbie introduced me to the shop last year and I made a mental note then to take my mom when the opportunity presented itself. An old house that has been converted to a bookshop with a garden, Mt. Cloud only sells books authored by Filipinos and even has a room dedicated to children’s books. Since my mom and Gabbie love reading, we spent over an hour browsing. Gabbie bought a book Of Love and Other Lemons while Penny bought a hardbound book of Filipino Children’s Stories written in English for her little boy, Miggy. If you love books, I highly recommend a visit to Mt. Cloud the next time you are in Baguio. Do drop by and support our local authors.
From there, we headed to Lemon and Olives, our favorite Mediterranean restaurant in Baguio, for a late lunch. With our worked-up appetites, we ordered the Lemon and Olives salad, hummus, minestra soup, Mediterranean pasta and our family’s favorite, lambchops! Of course, I left room for my favorite dessert, which is L&O’s baklava cheesecake.
After lunch, I was tempted to go back to BCC for a siesta but my brother Paul invited me to go with him to the Hobby Expo & Toy Convention in BCC’s Cordillera Convention Hall. I had never been to a toycon before, and was amazed by the sheer number of toys and pop culture merchandise on sale. In addition to the usual Funko pops, Star Wars, and superhero items, I noticed an abundance of anime-related toys, which suited Paul just fine as he was on the hunt for merch from his latest obsession, the One Piece animated series and its live action Netflix remake. As he went around looking for figurines, shirts and graphic novels, I just took it all in, delighted by the colorful cosplayers walking around and manning the booths.
I was also surprised to learn that some of the sellers were talented students from the University of the Philippines Baguio, who made extra money by sketching portraits or creating artwork for bookmarks, stickers, and posters. When I met up with Paul again, he said that Baguio Toy Con was easily the most atmospheric and “scenic” convention he had ever been to. How could it not be, with that lovely and spectacular vista of pine trees greeting those who were snacking or chatting with friends at the entrance to the hall, as they breathed in the fresh mountain air?
After 90 minutes in the hobby and toy con, we headed back to our room. At 5 p.m., Gabbie and I had an appointment at Sansage, the spa located inside the club where we booked ourselves for their signature massage. For an hour, my body was kneaded to rid it of the knots and “lamig” caused by stress and fatigue. It was just what I needed to unwind. By the time we were done, the rest of the family was waiting for us in Hamada, the Japanese restaurant in BCC. Luckily, my siblings were able to get a teppanyaki table with our “suki” chef Rey, who never fails to amaze us with his sensational stunt-cooking skills, which is a show in itself of acrobatic precision! He prepared steak, fried rice and vegetables, as the ingredients of our meal flew in the air and were used to form words and images on the grill.
After dinner, we were eager to go back to our room to resume our mahjong game. When it ended, the big winner was once again our bunso Penny, who emptied our wallets!
On our last day, Sunday, mom and I had a hearty breakfast in BCC, after which we heard Mass in St. Joseph Pacdal Church at 9 a.m. We then went back to BCC to check out and head back to Manila. Though I was in Baguio for only 48 hours, a weekend there always produces a priceless treasure trove of experiences both new and familiar, especially when I’m with my dearest family. Till next, Baguio. I’m already dreaming of our next visit. — Pat-P Daza (RAZZLE-DAZA)
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com